Blood donation: Gay couple 'thrilled' after rules change [U.K.]

BBC.com ^ | June 14, 2021 | BBC

[fwdude]

Until now men who have sex with men had to wait three months before donating.

From Monday, gay men in sexually active, monogamous relationships can donate for the first time.

Anyone who has had anal sex with a new or multiple partners in the past three months will have to wait three months to donate - regardless of their gender.

It follows a review by the Fair (For the Assessment of Individualised Risk) steering group, which concluded switching to an individualised, gender-neutral approach was fairer and maintained the safety of the blood supply.

The review's recommendations are to be implemented by all four UK nations.

[bgill]

Sure, kids hear about anal sex these days but geeeez printing it right out there is apparently acceptable in polite society.

As for them donating blood, just no. Sharing AIDS is also apparently acceptable.

[Truth29]

"I hope I never need a transfusion."

If it is for a planned operation and you have the option, go for autologous donations in advance.

[353FMG]

Is that the case in the US? Are homosexuals in the US allowed to donate blood to the bloodbank and are they checked for lifestyle before donating?

[IgnorerOfLiberals]

Why are they so excited about donating?

[Lizavetta]

In the homosexual community, taking a dump on someone's face is all part of the fun.

Seriously?

[fwdude]

Is that the case in the US? Are homosexuals in the US allowed to donate blood to the bloodbank and are they checked for lifestyle before donating?

Up until 2015, men who have had sex with another man, even once, since 1977 were deferred from ever donating blood. In 2015, the deferral was reduced to a window of 5 years since the last same-sex sexual encounter. This has gradually been whittled down due purely to political pressure until this past year, due to shortages from the COVID lockdowns, they were allowed to donate if celibate for the past 3 months. Way too short in my opinion.

Homosexuals like to pretend that they have a monopoly on blood deferral, but a LOT of conditions will defer your eligibility to donate that aren't related to homosexuality. I had successful prostate cancer surgery in 2019, but I am deferred from donating for 2 years. (I know. I tried.) How fair is that?

[ealgeone]

I think this is one of the reasons why being homo/lesbo is suddenly so “chic”. Zero responsibility or limitations.

[ealgeone]

I’d expand that STD question to any STD....especially HIV/AIDS.

[ealgeone]

The Bible does talk about God giving them over to degrading passions....

[MacNaughton]

Although this is the sick UK, expect this push to be renewed relentlessly in America until they get their "right" to infect everyone.

9/09/2011 - Kerry: End of Britain's Gay Blood Donor Ban a Tipping Point

Thursday’s news that British health officials will lift a lifetime ban on gay men donating blood is a significant step that the United States may soon follow, Sen. John Kerry, a leading proponent of ending the 28-year-old stateside ban, said Friday.

“I think this is likely the start of a trend globally that I’d rather we be leading than following,” Massachusetts Democrat Kerry said in a statement to The Advocate. “This is a very close ally who sees the same information we do, and they’ve determined that gay donors pose no risk to the blood supply.”

American Red Cross: Infectious Disease, HLA and ABO Donor Qualification Testing

Blood donations are tested for multiple disease markers including HIV.

<

Human Immunodeficiency viruses, Types 1 and 2 (HIV 1,2) Antibody testing (1985) and Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) (1999)

Blood donation screening for HIV-1, the causative agent of AIDS began with antibody testing in 1985. Many improvements in testing have occurred, including the detection of a second HIV agent (HIV-2 in 1992). The test used for blood donor screening is the GS HIV-1/HIV-2 PLUS O EIA for the simultaneous qualitative detection of anti-HIV 1 (groups M and O) and/or HIV-2 in human serum or plasma. A duplex nucleic acid test (NAT) was introduced for HIV-1/HCV RNA detection in 1999 and updated to include the detection of HBV DNA in 2009 (see above). The next version of NAT will include HIV-2 RNA detection (to be implemented in 2020). Donors who test antibody reactive are further evaluated by additional tests to confirm the presence of HIV antibody and to differentiate HIV-1 from HIV-2 antibodies. Such tests have included an HIV western blot, an HIV-2 enzyme-linked immunoassay, and an HIV-1 and HIV-2 rapid test for viral differentiation (all FDA licensed). Donors who test anti-HIV-1/HIV-2 and HIV-1 NAT reactive are not further tested. Currently only a rapid test is performed on HIV-1/HIV-2 antibody reactive donations that test NAT negative to confirm antibody reactivity and differentiate HIV-1 from HIV-2 antibodies. Donors testing falsely positive by either antibody or HIV NAT may be reentered. The per-unit risk of HIV-1 infection through blood transfusion is less than 1 per 2 million units screened. NAT closes the window period between infection and antibody detection for those infected with HIV by about 2 weeks. This leaves an approximate period of 7 to 10 days when an infected donor may not be detected by blood donation screening. The frequency of detecting HIV-1 in a blood donor is about 1 per 33,000 donations screened. However, detecting HIV-2 in a blood donor is extremely rare at 1 per 57 million donations, with only 5 such infected donors ever identified since HIV-2 screening began in 1992.

[MacNaughton]

The ultimate goal is to prove Dr. Fauxi right in his assumption back in the eighties that AIDS will spread like wildfire amongst the Hetero population.

[fwdude]

None of the blood testing matters as far as suitability for donating. When a specific group is 2,000% more likely to be infected with HIV, it is pure science to flatly shut out that possibility by deferring that group.

[mewzilla]

Meanwhile, here in the US, hubby and I still can’t donate because of Mad Moo concerns...

[Verginius Rufus]

Paul Gann of Proposition 13 fame received an HIV-tainted blood transfusion in 1982 and died in 1989--apparently the HIV hastened his death.

After 9/11, Yasser Arafat staged a photo-op where he was shown donating blood. Let's hope it was poured out and not given to anyone in a transfusion.

[Verginius Rufus]

For several years the Red Cross would not accept blood from anyone who had spent 6 months or more since Jan. 1980 in Europe, because of the mad cow issue. I had spent 7 months in Europe in 1980 so I could not donate, but later they relaxed the rule so now I can give again. I don't know if they have any documented cases of a person getting mad cow disease from a blood transfusion.

Meanwhile, people who have lived all their lives in Europe can donate blood to other people.

[NetAddicted]

Why do they ask about chemsex? Does saying yes mean you are definitely homosexual?

[NetAddicted]

Are you serious? Is this to keep the demented ruling class from being exposed to mRNA?

[NetAddicted]

In 2015, scientists discovered people with HIV age 14 years, plus get lots of cancer, HIV associated neurological disease (HAND or dementia), and more. I can’t find any recent articles about this. Guess UK will start researching and printing them. https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3962090/posts

[fwdude]

Do an internet search on “gay” and “toilet seat” if you want your answer. But not within view of children.

[mewzilla]

Just checked. We still can’t donate.